Boardering on Insanity
by Ash to Dust
Summary: Nick Cutter thought he had seen everything, until a group of teenagers come through an anomaly claiming to be from as alternate unvierse he's faced with a choice. Believe them or send them back, but one girl is not who she first seems. NickXClaudia.
1. Chapter 1

_Central Metropolitan University – 8am_

Professor Nick Cutter woke to a blinding headache and a crick in his neck. It took a few moments for awareness to return and with consciousness came the realisation that he'd fallen asleep on his desk at the university, again. Slowly raising his hand to massage his throbbing temples he managed a small, pitiful groan.

'Good morning Cutter!' Although her voice was usually welcome Nick really wished she hadn't spoken so loud. His head shot up and the painful crick is his neck announced it's prescence with vengeance. Cursing in a variety of colourful ways that made Claudia raise her eyebrows, he rubbed the painful spot and turned his gaze to his early morning offender.

'Claudia Brown.' He greeted simply. Seeing his somewhat sleepy appearance Claudia smiled sympathetically and produced a thermos of tea from behind her bag, holding it towards him.

'Sorry?' She offered quietly. Nick smiled slightly as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. When he opened them again Claudia had sat down opposite him and was pouring the tea into two mugs.

'Thanks, you're a life-saver.' He told her as he sipped the hop beverage.

'Yet another late night at the office for you?' Claudia asked politely, her eyes sweeping over his rumpled shirt and chaotic hair.

'It would seem so.' He replied as he finished off his tea, 'I suppose nothings come up while I slept.' He added as an afterthought. He would hate to think that the team had gone dinosaur hunting without him.

'Of course not, if there had been we would have woken you.' Claudia replied as she reached over to take the mug back. Her fingers brushed his and he felt a spark at the contact. She gifted him with a smile and leaned forwards again but just as their lips brushed each other her phone went off. Blushing furiously she reached down to answer it.

'Claudia Brown… no of course not… yes he's here… we'll be right over.' She flipped her phone closed with a sigh. Nick, having guessed the other side of the conversation had already stood and picked up his jacket.

'So much for a quiet morning.' He complained and felt Claudia's arm come to rest around his shoulders as she nodded in agreement. Grabbing his keys from his desk draw they left his office and headed towards the car park.

_Home Office – 9am_

'So you're saying that the anomaly opened for a few seconds and then closed again at eight and did exactly the same thing at eight thirty?' Stephen Hart questioned as Connor talked them through the anomaly's peculiar behaviour.

'Almost as though someone opened it, came through and closed it again.' Cutter mused from his seat.

'You reckon someone has the technology to do that?' Abby asked, sitting forward in interest.

'It's possible,' Cutter responded, 'We've had anomalies opening to the future and what's to say that the people in the future don't have the technology to do things like this? They could quite easily have opened an anomaly from the future, come through and closed it in a short space of time.'

'But it opened twice.' Claudia pointed out.

'Maybe they went back?' Connor suggested as he typed quickly onto his laptop, 'Maybe they came to do something, did it and just went back?'

'Or maybe someone stayed.' Abby added, voicing everyone's thoughts.

'In which case we need to find them, and fast.' Lester decided from his seat at the head of the table, 'Cutter, you take Ryan and his men and get onto it. If you find anyone bring them back here.'

_Forest of Dean – 9am_

'Jess are you sure this is the right place?' A group of teenagers stood in a clearing, all wearing green khakis uniforms and backpacks.

'I'm certain.' The red-haired, intelligent, fifteen-year-old Jess replied. Everyone believed her. They had no reason not to, Jess was their leader and they would follow her to the end of the earth. They unpacked their bags, producing tents and equipment from various pockets and setting them up whilst Jess walked away, staring out into the woods. Her best friend, Aaron, followed her cautiously.

'Do you think he'll exist here?' Jess asked, sensing the prescence of her most trusted friend behind her.

'Maybe, maybe not, who knows?' Aaron replied, coming to stand next to her, 'Anyway, they'll be here soon. Then you'll know.' He knew that trying to comfort her wouldn't work.

'When he died in our world and mum had to leave me because Helen was threatening her I thought the world had ended. I was only four, I didn't know what I could do, and I couldn't control it. But Helen brought me up as she wanted, exploited my ability, but I fought back.'

'Here you are.' Aaron pointed out, 'Head of the resistance, anomaly explorer. Surely that's worth something?' Jess sighed and nodded.

'I just wished I had been given the chance to get to know him.' She told the silent forest before turning back to her team.

Altogether they were a motley group, yet all of them could do strange things. Jess could heal an ability she'd had since birth. It had made her invulnerable to cuts and broken bones and she had soon learnt to use it on others. Aaron, her best friend and second in command could control fire, which could be either devastating of life-saving. Devon, the youngest and newest member, was a walking clock and always knew the exact time, as though it was woven into his head. Sarah was a maths genius who could answer any question you threw at her in seconds and without a calculator and finally Harry could read other people's thoughts and was blessed with incredible accuracy when shooting.

Together they could be deadly. It was why Helen Cutter had tried so hard to split them up. But here they were, on the other side of the anomaly, safe from her and her army of clones. For now that was.

The sound of engines drew the group's attention. They came closer and closer until the cars and their occupants were visible. Aaron heard Jess draw in a gasp as she saw who was driving the truck at the front. He felt his breath freeze in his chest, it was him. The man Jess had shown his so many times, the man on the picture in her pocket and next to him the woman from the picture.

'Nick Cutter and Claudia Brown.' She breathed and promptly fainted.

_Forest of Dean - 9:10am_

Captain Ryan saw the group first. They weren't what he had been expecting. By the looks of it they were all teenagers, around five of them, with tents. One of the girls had even fainted. They didn't look like a threat but nonetheless he trained his gun on them as they surrounded the group.

'Jess, are you alright?' One of the older boys was holding the girl that had fainted, who was slowly standing.

'I'm fine, just give me a moment.' She gazed around at the soldiers and noted that her team had pulled their own pistols out, 'Put them away, they're not a threat.' Harry looked reluctant but lowered the gun. Cutter pushed his way through the soldiers.

'Who are you?' He asked as his eyes wandered over the five teenagers stood in front of him. The girl at the front looked strangely familiar.

'The resistance,' the boy beside her replied, 'from another universe, parallel to your own.' Cutter raised his eyebrows at the explanation in disbelief.

'It's true.' The girl stated, backing him up. 'I'm Jess, the leader, this is Aaron, my second in command, Sarah, Harry and Devon.' As she named her team they nodded in acknowledgment.

'Professor…'

'Nick Cutter.' Jess completed ignoring his surprised look, 'Yes I know who you are. I've been waiting for you to turn up.' The soldiers shared bemused glances at her knowledge of Cutter.

'Why? How do you know me?' He questioned.

'I need your help, as to how I know you I suggest you look to your left.' Nick turned and stared at Claudia. He turned back to Jess confused, but that was when he saw it, looking from one to the other it finally clicked.

'That's impossible.' He muttered, taking a step back. Slowly Jess held out the photo from her pocket and Cutter took it with shaking hands, 'impossible.' He repeated, looking from the photo to Jess and back again.

'What is it?' Claudia asked, trying to get a good look at the photo. Jess replied for him.

'My full name is Jessica Zoë Sara Cutter; I'm your daughter in another universe.' This time it was Claudia's turn to faint, Cutter, in his shocked state, only just caught her.

_Next time: Jess explains her rather problematic situation and tries to gain Ryan and Lester's trust, Cutter and Claudia learn a little about parenthood whilst Stephen, Connor, Abby and the resistance have to deal with another anomaly._


	2. Chapter 2

_Home Office – 10am_

'I don't know if I can trust her.' Lester told Ryan as they watched Jess typing something into Connor's laptop. The teen had really taken to him; she spoke with Connor more than anyone else. In the corner Cutter was holding Claudia clearly checking that she was alright.

'Neither do I sir.' Ryan replied, his grip tightening on his gun, 'How can we believe her? She could be lying through her teeth.' Lester looked thoughtful.

'Or maybe she's telling the truth.' Their conversation was interrupted by the appearance of Cutter who looked both confused and excited.

'Jess wants to tell us something, something to do with the anomalies.' He said after a few moments, 'But she'll only tell me and Claudia.' Lester groaned.

'Why can't these people ever be simple? Alright, take her home and make sure you don't miss anything out when you report back.' Cutter grinned and raced back down to where Jess was standing, 'Keep an eye on them.' Lester muttered to Ryan and walked into his office.

_Cutter's house - 11am_

Jess looked around, admiring the general 'glamour' of the house. It was bigger than the one her Cutter had lived in, but he had the piano and the books, all the same. Slowly she walked over to the piano and pressed the C# below middle C. Nothing happened; it was definitely the same piano, dodgy keys and all.

'What do you think?' Cutter asked as both women examined his home.

'Roomy, but it doesn't look unlived in.' Claudia decided as she read the spines of his books.

'It's so familiar, but not the same.' Both adults turned to stare at the teenager, sat at the piano, 'Same piano, same books, the house is bigger but the decorations haven't changed.' Cutter stared at her, as though trying to think of something to say.

'Was your Cutter different?' He asked finally. Jess turned away and he wondered if he had said the wrong thing.

'My Cutter's dead.' for some reason this statement didn't affect him as much as he had expected, 'Helen killed him and threatened my mum. When Helen found out where she lived she stole me and my mum went into hiding.'

'Helen.' Cutter muttered, confused.

'My Helen was different too; when she disappeared you got over her death and married Claudia three years later. I was five when you died. Helen had been back for almost a year, you had been hunting her down, but she found you first. She took me out of spite originally but in the end I became one of her experiments.

'Helen didn't only explore anomalies and edit the past. She tried to edit people. She messed with my DNA with some technology from the future. I think she was trying to give people strange abilities. But it didn't work at first. After a few years she gave up, the five of us, the children she had stolen escaped. We discovered our abilities in our own time.

'She's the reason we're here. In our world she's cloning an army, bigger than anything you've ever seen. She's taking over the past and the present and with you dead there's no one to stop her. We came here for help.' Jess fell silent as her parents took in the immense amount of information.

'Helen tried to change your DNA?' Claudia whispered in disbelief.

'Tried and succeeded.' Jess confirmed and before her parents could stop her she had drawn a knife and cut across her head.

'Jess!' Cutter exclaimed, moving forwards but she stopped him, holding out her hand. There was no cut.

_Home Office – 11am_

Devon was sat in the corner, listening to time. To him, time was a beautiful thing that needed care and respect. He was the team's walking anomaly detector. The anomalies were rips in time and he could sense them. So when he felt the tug that pulled apart the flow he called his friends over.

'What is it?' Connor asked as Stephen came running over.

'There's another anomaly.' Aaron said, already packing his things.

'How do you know that?' Connor question, they all looked at Devon but Connor didn't understand.

'Just where do you think you're going?' Lester asked as the group headed towards the door.

'There's an anomaly!' Stephen called over his shoulder as he followed the group of teens. Lester looked from Ryan to Stephen and back again. Realising he wouldn't be able to convince Stephen otherwise he turned to Ryan.

'Send some of your men; make sure they don't run off.'

_Cutter's house – 11:28am_

Jess's phone went off. She looked up at Cutter apologetically and answered it.

'Where is it…? No, I'm coming… I'll bring them too… See you there.' She flipped the phone shut and glanced over at the awkward-looking pair, 'Another anomaly.' She said simple in explanation, 'You coming?'

_Anomaly site, Forest of Dean – 11:30am_

Stephen pulled up alongside the glowing rip in time. He glanced towards the backs seat where Devon was looking rather pained.

'You alright?' He asked simple.

'Rips in time hurt, but this one's bad, it leads to our universe making it a rip in timelines as well.' Devon explained as he grimaced. Sarah jumped out.

'We have to contain it, if Helen finds it we're in trouble.'

'Helen?' Stephen repeated.

'Yes Helen.' Sarah replied.

'What's to say Helen's not already here?' The group stopped dead at the voice and slowly turned. Helen Cutter was stood not metres from them, surrounded by four of her clones, 'Four of the resistance and Stephen Hart, a good call on my front.' She said.

'You'll never win.' Aaron called at her, 'There'll always be someone left to stop you.' At that moment Connor pulled up next to their car and jumped out with Abby and Captain Ryan. Two of the clones turned their guns away from Stephen and onto the trio.

'Put the gun down and no one gets hurt.' Helen called to Ryan. He hesitated but lowered his gun to the floor, 'Good boy.' Helen said, 'Now where's dear little Jessi? It's hardly like her to abandon her team. I was under the impression that she'd do anything for you.' Aaron and Harry shared a glance. They had a plan.

Harry focused on Connor's thoughts and tried to get a message across. _Back away three paces._ Looking confused Connor did so and Abby and Ryan followed his lead.

'Don't try anything.' Helen called, 'I can kill you quicker than you can kill me.' Aaron paused, his palm already heating. Helen was right. They couldn't beat her, but they could take her down with them. Moments later a tree burst into flame. The group made a run for the cars but the distraction didn't last long. Two of the clones, who had also caught fire, fired at the group. But it wasn't bullets that were flying at them.

Tranquilliser darts flew into Aaron and Stephen's backs, another caught Sarah's arm. The three dropped like stones. Ryan tried to go back but Harry shoved him into the car.

'There's nothing we can do.' He hissed and Ryan accepted the inevitable.

'Bring them to the other side.' Helen told her two remaining clones, 'Lock them up, you know where. But give the man to me.'

_Forest of Dean – 11:40am_

Cutter drove around the corner and nearly collided with two cars heading the other way. Jess jumped out before he could stop her.

'Aaron?' She called but Devon who had just climbed out shook his head.

'Helen took them through the anomaly.' He told her. Cutter tried to comfort Jess but she pulled away.

'She won't hurt them. I'll get her before she can.'

'It would be suicide going through!' Harry complained.

'You're not going through.' Cutter and Claudia shouted in unison.

'I never said I was going alone.' Jess shouted back as she grabbed one of the guns from the back of the truck. Cutter and Claudia exchanged a glance. Harry, reading their thoughts did the one thing he had never dared to do.

_Sleep,_ he commanded Jess's mind. Before she could fight back she was unconscious. Cutter caught her before she could hit the ground.

_Helen's factory, other universe - 3pm  
_

Stephen woke to Helen leaning over him.

'I'm sorry about that Stephen. Are you alright?' Slowly he lifted his head and found himself face to face with… another Stephen Hart.

_Next time: Jess does some shouting, Helen does some plotting and Cutter decides that teenagers are more difficult and troublesome than he had originally thought. But is that really Stephen? And who is threatening Claudia's existence?_


End file.
